Caminito del Rey - A Great Trip during Spring!
/Hiking along the Caminito del Rey is a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Spring day. An easy day trip from Mijas, it’s a relatively easy hike of approximately 8 km if you walk to or from the actual entrance. Three kilometres of the trail consists of a walkway pinned to the steep walls of a narrow gorge.
The original walkway was built between 1901 and 1905 to allow workers to transport materials used in the construction of a hydroelectric plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls. The name Caminito del Rey was coined when King Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway in 1921.
The original path was built of concrete supported on steel rails supported by stanchions built at 45 degree angles. Over the years, the walkway deteriorated, and many sections collapsed making the path extremely dangerous. Several people died, and after two fatal accidents in 1999 and 2000, the walkway was officially closed. That, however, did not deter thrill seekers who continued to attempt to traverse the trail. Between 2009 and 2013, four more people died while attempting to hike the remains of the trail.
Old portions of the walkway are visible at many points along the way.
In 2011, the regional government of Andalucía and the local government of Málaga agreed to share the costs to rehabilitate the Caminito del Rey, and after an investment of €9 million, the Caminito del Rey was re-opened to the public in 2015.
Despite how it may look, hiking the Caminito del Rey is safe thanks to a complete refurbishment completed in 2015.
In order to visit and hike the Caminito del Rey, you’ll want to book an appointment. You can read more details and get tickets (in English) at this website.
In this photo, you can get a sense of the scale of the walkway perched along the gorge.